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Miss Dockery’s maternal great-grandmother, Maud Malyon, was born in 1910 in Newham, East London, and was a domestic servant for a wealthy family.

Her great-grandfather, William Oakman, was a grocer’s assistant.

The actress said: ‘I’m not like Lady Mary at all. For one thing, I’m not actually posh. I come from a very humble, working-class background.

Adjusting to her role: Michelle Dockery said that she grew up without much money and with a thick estuary accent, despite playing a convincing aristocrat in the hit series Downton Abbey, left

‘My dad worked all sorts of jobs when I was growing up and finally ended up as a surveyor; my mum delivers meals to old folk around where we live. We didn’t have much money when I was growing up, but I had a very happy childhood.

‘I’m the youngest of three sisters and my parents have always encouraged all of us to do whatever made us happy.’

In the interview with Hello! magazine, she added: ‘I had a very strong Essex accent when I was younger, and I don’t think I would have got the role of Lady Mary if I’d walked into the audition going, “Allo, nice ter meet ya!”’

Miss Dockery made her TV debut in BBC mini-series Fingersmith in 2005. However, she came to public prominence playing Lady Mary Crawley, and has this year been nominated for the outstanding actress prize at this year’s Emmy awards.

Recalling her childhood in East London, she said in a previous interview: ‘At the age of eight I auditioned for The Sound of Music, and made it through to the third round, where we all stood in a row like the Von Trapp family and had to sing.

'I belted out my line with real confidence and I could see the casting director and the other adults were impressed by my singing voice.

‘Then we were asked to give our names. The children before me were all enunciating perfectly.

'When I was asked what experience I had, I replied, “Well, I’ve done lots of shows round Essex but I ain’t done nuffink up the West End.” I instantly suspected I’d blown it. And I had.’